I started back after 18 weeks, and I felt ready by then. I'm only two weeks in, so I expect it to get harder as work ramps up, but I am still happy to be back. I wasn't feeling quite ready at three months.
Post by wanderlustmom on Jan 25, 2015 20:11:13 GMT -5
For our first, I went back PT (20 hours) when he was four months. I wasn't ready but adjusted by six months and really liked the balance.
Then I went to 32 hours and wasn't happy. Totally SAH and went back when our second was nine months. Went back 20 hours and I was ready. They are in fourth and second grade and I think about the extra income of FT. Not ready though.
Went back at 4 months (DS was 18w I think). I was ready at 3.5 months and then changed my mind once I was back at work - 6 months would likely be the ideal. That third month was a killer for me for some reason.
I think next time we will work towards me taking 24w, assuming I'm with the same company. That is the max time.
I went back at 8 weeks last time and am doing the same this time. I thought I wanted 12 weeks this time but I ended up feeling too guilty being away from work.
I feel ready though. I think it is easier because DH took and is taking two months of leave when I go back.
I went back at 18 weeks and I was not at all ready. I feel like DD had just started really becoming fun and sleeping better. I spent all of my maternity leave just trying to survive.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
I went back at 8 weeks because my boss kind of begged me to. It was way too early. WAY too early. I would have loved to stay home (realistically) for 12-14 weeks. Ideal would have been 6 months. But I am definitely happy to be a SAHM now.
I went back at 7 weeks. I honestly missed work and the routine so I was looking forward to going back to work. But in a ideal world I would've been off 16 weeks.
Went back at 13 weeks. I think 9 months would have been ideal, would settle for 6. I don't remember most of the summer due to sleep deprivation. Staying home just wouldn't be for me but I would love to work part time
Honestly to me it was never an either/or feeling. I liked being home with my babies when they were fun to be around. I like my work and the grown-up world. So in a way as soon as I was healed and had strength then I was ready to be back at work too. Taking longer then 6 weeks isn't really about that tho.
In a dream world, DH would support my desire to SAH. We could afford it, but he's not onboard.
I returned to work 4 days per week, which comes out to 30 hrs. That one weekday off (Fridays) has improved our family life. I'm able to tackle appointments, errands, and stay on top of cleaning the house.
So to sum it up - I never felt ready. It's still really hard to leave him. But I'm thankful to have returned to work PT, as I used to put in 50+ hrs a week, on average.
I cried on my way to work, but that had nothing to do with leaving DD and everything to do with the fact that I hated my job. I was definitely ready to not be on maternity leave any more
I probably would have been ok going back at 8 weeks, but as noted above, I hated my job and I had the PTO to stay home and keep getting paid for it.
I go back tomorrow, after 9.5 weeks. Not even close to ready I'm already counting down the days until summer vacation. The only good thing is that my mom is watching him, so I know he'll be in good hands.
i'll go back at 11.5m (3 weeks from now). i started to really miss the structure and routine around 7m. the only reason i didn't go back at 8m is because i had travel plans and then the holidays and then i figured we'd be in the thick of winter and i'd rather stay home when it's cold. also, getting day care for an infant is difficult and expensive here.
i remember thinking at 6 weeks when i was still bleeding, still feeling awful, and my midwife was hesitant to discharge me that there are people who don't have an option. they have to go back to work or risk losing their jobs. it was really sobering. again at 12 weeks, i was starting to feel better, but was still averaging less than 5 hours of broken sleep a night. i don't know how women do it when they have bad sleepers. i really think i would have switched to formula or at least combo fed so i could have more help overnight. things would have been drastically different in our house, that's for sure. as it is, i think h is going to have a wake up call when i go back. 50/50, man! he's great at equal parenting, but he's going to have to step up his game around the house.
I went back barely 2 days/wk at 3 months, but it took until 5.5 months to not miss her so much. At 11 months of this very part time schedule, I felt very ready to go back full time. But due to childcare, full time means 4 days/week so me and DD hang together on Fridays.
12 weeks. 6 months would have been better (and I'm hoping to work that out for the next one). Although at this point now I would love to spend more time with DD (but not SAH completely, but no way to go PT. )
I have one week of ML left. DS will be 4.5 months. I am nowhere near ready.
I feel so torn. I love my job. I want to work, and see my work friends. Oddly enough, I feel like I'll have more down time at work too, and would love to drink a HOT cup of coffee in peace. I also want my kid to be around other kids, and have a more structured day than I feel like I can give him. The thought of missing out on time with him just breaks my heart, though. We can afford to have me stay at home. I've committed to giving work/daycare a try, at least.
I went back at 12 weeks but I only worked for about a month or so and then had 3 months off for the summer. I was ready in the fact that I was getting bored at home and longed for the routine. But I wasn't ready to leave DD.
I went back at 13 weeks, worked 5.5 months, and then quit again at 8.5 months. I've been SAHing for 2.5months now.
I was not not not ready at 3 months. They spent the first 2 months at home with DW so that was easier than daycare, but it was still really hard.
Honestly, ironically, as we approach 1 year I think that's probably the time frame I'd actually feel comfortable with. So, basically the US has a shitty system and every other country has it right. But I'm happy to be home for now, no clue when I will get to the point of actually *wanting* to go back.
I was having daily crying spells about it, but my boss called last week and asked if I would be interested in going part time weekend shifts (with an hourly pay increase for the weekend shifts) and I'm jumping all over that. I'm much less anxious about going back, but I would have preferred six months-a year.